The Currier Museum of Art is delighted to present a selection of important works by Olga de Amaral (b. 1932, Bogotá) in its Welcome Gallery, as part of its ongoing series of exhibitions exploring the relationship between crafts and the visual arts.

De Amaral is not only globally recognized for her contribution to textile art, but she is also considered one of the most important abstract artists in central and Latin America. She often works with materials that she sources locally, such as raw wool, wood branches, luffa, horsehair, plastic, and most notably, gold.

The artist studied architectural design at Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca, prior to attending Cranbrook Academy of Art in the United States, where she majored in weaving and textiles design. The founder of the Textile Department at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, De Amaral established her international reputation in the late 1960s. She was Colombia’s representative at the World Crafts Council between 1968 and 1972. In 1973, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, which allowed her to work in Paris. Subsequently, she represented Colombia at the 42nd Venice Biennial in 1986, and has since participated in numerous exhibitions worldwide.

Her work is presently included in the 60th Venice Biennale, curated by Adriano Pedrosa and titled Stranieri Ovunque (Strangers Everywhere). In the fall of 2024, the Fondation Cartier in Paris will present her largest and most comprehensive European retrospective.